Pattern of Autoimmune Hepatitis in Children In Sohag University Hospital

Overview

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a progressive inflammatory liver disorder of unknown etiology. If left untreated, it progresses to liver cirrhosis and liver failure. Diagnosis of AIH relies on the exclusion of other causes of liver disease and the presence of positive clinical, biochemical, and histological criteria. AIH has a very wide spectrum of clinical presentations ranging from being asymptomatic to an acute severe fulminant disease. It may be associated with other autoimmune disorders such as thyroiditis, type 1 diabetes, vitiligo, inflammatory bowel disease, or juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Biochemical features of AIH include elevation of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and immunoglobulin G (IgG) in addition to autoantibodies. Liver biopsy is recommended in any patient with suspected autoimmune hepatitis where interface hepatitis is the hallmark of the disease. Immunosuppression is the mainstay of therapy in AIH. Prednisone is administered as the initial therapy either alone or in combination with azathioprine. Liver transplantation is indicated in patients who develop fulminant hepatic failure that is unresponsive to corticosteroids and in patients who develop end-stage liver disease.

Conditions

Interventions